Solomon R. Stoughton

NOT A DIRECT ANCESTOR Solomon R. Stoughton is not in my direct ancestry. He is 1 step removed in the following ways: Brother of Elizabeth Ann Stoughton Son of John C. Stoughton and Mary Jane McCandless

Solomon Stoughton was the last child of his parents, born eight or nine years after his next older sibling, Sydney Jane. He was of slight build, with red hair and blue eyes. (His mother was of Scottish lineage, by way of Ireland.) He married early, age 15 per McKee's history of the county; age 18 per the 1920 census. His son Howard Ray appears to have been born 17 years after the (1877) birth date for Solomon, but there likely was an earlier child who died. Two infants died before 1900, and there doesn't appear to be space in the birth order between son Ray and the other two children born before 1900 for more than one other birth.
Besides farming he worked at lumbering, threshing for hire, and oil drilling with brother-in-law James L. Wilson, and his draft card lists another entrepreneurial effort, "manufacturing wholesale...(illegible)". By the date of the draft card (1918), his father had been dead a dozen years; he listed his brother Ira as next of kin. (Apparently a male's name was needed; his wife was still living.)
He later opened Stoughton's Beach on the bank of Slippery Rock Creek. The beach always opened on Mothers' Day weekend, and there was a concession selling ice cream and soda. The current was fairly swift and the creek bed rocky. And slippery.
(I'm told I bathed there as a child in the 1940's, and fell on the rocks. Sol Stoughton was my great-grandmother's brother. E.W.W.)

	Date	Location	Notes	Sources
Birth	6 Feb 1877 1 Feb 1878 1876	Franklin Twp., Butler Co. PA on his parents' farm.
Marriage	calc. 1892		to Emma M. Stillwagon (Feb 1876-1930), dau. of Adam Stillwagon of Slippery Rock
Death	1966
Burial		Mt. Zion Baptist Cemetery

Ancestry chart segment

  Generation 4               Generation 5
                        
                         +-- John C. Stoughton
                         |   (1832-1902)
  Solomon R. Stoughton --+
     (1877-1966)         |
                         +-- Mary Jane McCandless
                             (~1832-1882)
Sources: 

Children

(all children with (name of husband)

Name	Gender	Date of Birth	Birthplace	Spouse	Notes	Sources
unknown Stoughton	?	(bef.1900)	Franklin T., Butler Co. PA	(died young)	birth order unknown
Howard Ray Stoughton	M	June 1894	Franklin T., Butler Co. PA	Esther unknown
unknown Stoughton	?	(bef.1900)	Franklin T., Butler Co. PA	(died young)	birth order unknown
Stella Grace Stoughton	F	Nov 1897	Franklin T., Butler Co. PA
Mabel Gertrude Stoughton	F	Dec 1899	Franklin T., Butler Co. PA
Ira Frank Stoughton	M	~1902	Franklin T., Butler Co. PA
Clyde B. Stoughton	M	~1906	Franklin T., Butler Co. PA
Blanche A. Stoughton	F	~1908	Franklin T., Butler Co. PA

Places of Residence

Location	Dates	Notes	Sources
Franklin T. Butler Co. PA born on parent's farm	1877-1892
Franklin T. Butler Co. PA his 116 acre farm, at marriage	1892-1966

Photo Gallery

Gravestone, Sol & Emma Stoughton, Mt. Zion Cemetery, Franklin Twp. Butler Co.A

Site of former Stoughton's Beach, Slippery Rock Creek at Rt. 173

Photos by E. W. Williams, Oct. 2006

Sources

1	1880 United States Federal Census, Franklin Township, Butler County, PA, Enumeration district 42, Page 17, lines 14-18 lists John C. Stoughton, 50, married to Mary Jane Stoughton, 50. They live with three children: daughter Ellin Stoughton, 14; daughter Sydy Jane Stoughton, 12; and son Solomon Stoughton, 3. Mary Jane Stoughton is somehow listed as both married and single. John C. Stoughton is a farmer. Everyone and their parents were born in PA. Ellin and Sydy attended school within the census year. This census is dated 9 Jun 1880.
2	1900 Federal Census, Franklin Twp., Butler Co., PA, Sheet 7, Dwelling no. 233; date of census 16 June 1900. Solomon Stoughton, born Feb. 1877, age 23, married 8 yrs, farmer,home (farm) owned, free of mortgage; Emmie M. Stoughton, wife, born Feb. 1876, age 24, married 8 yrs, mother of 5 children; 3 children living. Both Solomon & Emmie can read, write & speak English. Howard R. Stoughton, son, born Jun. 1894, age 5; dau. Stella V. Stoughton, born Nov. 1897, age 2; dau. Mabel G. Stoughton, born Dec. 1899, age 5 mos. All born in PA; all parents born in PA.
3	1910 United States Federal Census, District 89, Franklin Twp, Butler Co, PA, page 13. Census dated 4 May, 1910. Lines 11-18: Solomon Stoughton, age 32, head, mar. 15 years, farmer, general farming, owns farm, no mortgage; Emma, wife, 33, mar. 15 years, 8 children, 6 living; Howard R., son, 15; Stella G., dau, 12; Mabel G., dau, 10; Ira F., son, 8; Clyde B., son, 4; Blanche A., dau., A., 2. All and all parents b. PA. All but three youngest read, write, and speak English. Howard, Stella, Mabel and Ira attended school.
4	1920 United States Federal Census, District 47, Franklin Twp, Butler Co, PA, page 14. Census dated 20-21 Jan 1920. Lines 65-67: Solomon R. Stoughton, head, age 41, owns home, with mortgage,married at age 18, contractor, lumber mill; Gertrude M., dau, age 20; Ira F., son, age 18. All read, write, speak English, All (and parents) b. PA. Note:The notation in the marital status column is neither "M" nor "S", but an odd (WB?) overwrite. Wife Emma is not present in the ennumeration; nor are the youngest children who should be aged 12 & 14. See source notes below.
5	1930 United States Federal Census, District 61, Slippery Rock Twp, Butler Co, PA, page 13. Census dated 11 Apr 1930. Lines 44-50: H.R.Stoughton, head, age 35, owns home (not on farm), owns radio, first mar. age 23, reads and writes English, laborer, creamery, not a veteran; Esther, wife, 31, mar at 20, reads and writes; Roy, son, 11, in school; Roberta, dau, 7, in school; Audrey, 5; Betty, 1 year, 5 mo.; S.R., father, 53, mar at 16. All and parents born PA.
6	Gravestone Transcription, Mt Zion Baptist Cemetery, Franklin Twp.,Butler Co. PA. Butler Co. Cemetery Inventory, Vol. II, Mt. Zion Cemetery, & transcription June 2007 by Elizabeth Wilson Williams. "Stoughton, Emma M., 1876 - 1930; Solomon R. 1876 - 1966".
7	20th Century History of Butler & Butler County PA by James A. McKee, 1909, p.1001: Solomon R. Stoughton, a thriving agriculturist of Franklin Township, was born on his present farm of 116 acres, February 1, 1878, son of John C. and Mary Jane (McCandless) Stoughton...John C. Stoughton...came to the present farm of his son Solomon at the time of his marriage...Solomon R. Stoughton...has been largely devoted to agricultural pursuits, but for three years he was engaged in operating a saw-mill and threshing-machine, in partnership with James L. Wilson. He also spent seven years in the oil fields. ..Mr. Stoughton was married at the age of fifteen years to Emma Stillwagon, who is the daughter of Adam Stillwagon, of Slippery Rock, and they have six children: Howard Ray, Stella Grace, Mabel Gertrude, Ira Frank, Clyde, and Blanche.	(Complete text, Solomon R. Stoughton sketch)
8	Manuscript of John T. Wilson researched 1975-1985, including personal knowledge and interviews of McDeavitt cousins and of his aunts Stella Wimer (McNeese), Lizzy Wimer (McDeavitt), Meda Wimer (McDeavitt), and Mary Gahagan.
9	Interview of Russell W. Wilson, June 2007 by Elizabeth Wilson Williams. He accompanied us on a driving tour to visit the old beach, and told of family outings to Slippery Rock Creek on opening weekend.
10	World War I Draft Card Solomon R. Stoughton, dated 12 Sept 1918. Euclid RD1, Butler PA; age 41, birth date 6 Feb 1877; white, native born citizen; self employed, manufacturing wholesale illegible; nearest relative Ira Stoughton, same address; short, small build, blue eyes, red hair.

Source Notes

• McKee's history of Butler County, published in 1909, was researched when Solomon was about thirty, so Sol may have been personally interviewed for it. It says that he married at age 15 to Emma Stillwagon, but it also puts his birth (1878) one year later than Solomon lists on his draft card or that he gave in the 1900 census,(1877) when he was age 23. (His gravestone gives yet a third date of birth (1876), but is probably the least reliable.)
• Emma is absent from the family census record in 1920, and the two youngest children who should be aged 12 and 14 are also missing. Either Emma and the children were visiting elsewhere, or she died by 1920 and the youngsters were living in another household. Her gravestone indicates she died in 1930.